Mikhail Riches
Area of expertise: environmental and socially inclusive design across multiple sectors – including housing, education, mixed-use, masterplanning, leisure, and retrofit.
Mikhail Riches have 21 years of experience pushing the boundaries of sustainable architecture, with particular expertise in environmental design that optimises natural assets at no additional cost to improve a building’s performance.
They have won many industry awards in recognition of their work, including the 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize for Goldsmith Street, nine RIBA Awards, and 15 Housing Design Awards.
Phone +44 207 6081 505
Address 17a Newman Street, London, W1T 1PD
Website www.mikhailriches.com
Instagram @mikhailriches
LinkedIn Mikhail Riches
Tell us about your practice?
Mikhail Riches are UK leaders in sustainable design in a range of sectors but predominantly housing and mixed-use neighbourhoods. All our projects aim for low carbon in use and construction. We also aim to create neighbourhoods that are socially sustainable and provide spaces for communities to form and grow.
We carry out post occupancy analysis of our schemes and ask for residents’ feedback on what it’s like to live there. Our research provides an evidence base and informs future projects. Our work promotes low carbon lifestyles by providing easy access to active travel routes and by prioritising people over cars.
How do you describe your approach to the design?
Our expertise lies in environmental and socially inclusive design across multiple sectors. Our combined expertise and experience sets us apart; and means we design buildings beautifully with sustainability in their DNA.
We consider solar orientation at masterplanning stage. Harnessing winter sun can reduce fuel consumption and minimising east and west fenestration will reduce overheating risk. This ensures we can deliver buildings of a high environmental performance, affordably.
What projects are you currently working on?
We are currently working on the next two phases of the regeneration of Park Hill flats Sheffield for Urban Splash. We have two projects on site for York City Council as part of their ambitious zero carbon housing programme with another going into planning shortly. We have two projects on site for Hackney Council and a new leisure and housing masterplan for Ealing Council.
Why do clients come to you?
We work with a range of different clients, from Local Authorities to private developers. The success of Goldsmith Street and its Stirling prize win has given us a growing reputation for low carbon affordable housing projects, and we are attracting clients who want the expertise to fulfil their zero carbon commitments within tight budgets.
What have been the highlights for you in the past year?
Completing phase two of Park Hill and seeing everyone move and the community grow has been a highlight. The commercial spaces are nearly all occupied and there’s a great new bar, The Pearl.
Another highlight was gaining planning approval for Owlstone, part of Queens College Cambridge. It’s a project for 60 new zero-carbon postgraduate rooms as well as a decarbonisation strategy for the rest of the site. Next year we have several projects completing on site, which will be exciting.
Find out more about the RIBA Chartered Practices attending MIPIM 2024.
